Method of manufacture of a liquid pesticide containing copper and a liquid pesticide containing copper

ABSTRACT

A method of manufacture of a liquid pesticide containing copper. A first step involves forming of a solidified water soluble copper-borate complex. A second step involves dissolving the solidified water soluble copper-borate complex in water, until the water contains a concentration of at least 0.02% by weight of copper.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method of manufacture of a liquidpesticide containing copper and a liquid pesticide containing copper.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Copper has know properties as a fungicide. Unfortunately, copperhydroxide is almost insoluble in water and, therefore, must be dissolvedin mineral acids and ammonia forming salt solutions or copper aminecomplexes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

What is required is more user friendly and environmentally friendlyliquid pesticide containing copper.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided amethod of manufacture of a liquid pesticide containing copper. A firststep involves forming of a solidified water soluble copper-boratecomplex. A second step involves dissolving the solidified water solublecopper-borate complex in water, until the water contains a concentrationof at least 0.02% by weight of copper.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided aliquid pesticide containing copper which consists of a copper-boratecomplex dissolved in water with a concentration of at least 0.02% byweight of copper.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,279 (Payzant et al) discloses a method of making asolidified water soluble wood preservative which contains both copperand boron. During laboratory tests a first surprising discovery has beenmade. It was discovered that a chemical change had occurred to thecopper and boron forming a copper-borate complex. During solubilitytests a second surprising discovery was made. It was discovered thatcopper remained in solution when the solidified copper-borate complexwas dissolved in water.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features of the invention will become more apparent fromthe following description in which reference is made to the appendeddrawings, the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and arenot intended to in any way limit the scope of the invention to theparticular embodiment or embodiments shown, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating the steps of in the manufacture ofa liquid pesticide containing copper in accordance with the teachings ofthe present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The preferred method of manufacture of a liquid pesticide containingcopper will now be described with reference to FIG. 1.

A first step involves forming of a solidified water solublecopper-borate complex 12. The manner of forming of the solublecopper-borate complex is outlined in U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,279. A secondstep involves dissolving the solidified water soluble copper-boratecomplex 12 in a container 14 containing water 16. It is preferred thatthe copper-borate complex be crushed into a granular form, as thisaccelerates the rate at which the solidified water soluble copper-boratecomplex will dissolve in water. The resulting water containing thedissolved copper-borate complex can then transferred into smallcontainers 18 to be used as a liquid pesticide. The relative proportionsof copper and boron in the copper-borate complex can vary as long as theresulting concentration of in copper in the water has sufficienttoxicity for intended use as a moldicide, an insecticide or as afungicide. For use as a moldicide the concentration of copper in watershould be at least 0.20% concentration by weight to have sufficienttoxicity to be toxic to molds. For use as an insecticide theconcentration of copper in water should be at least 0.30% concentrationby weight to have sufficient toxicity to be toxic to insects. For use asa fungicide the concentration of copper in water should be at least0.20% concentration by weight to have sufficient toxicity to be toxic tofungi.

In terms of minimum and maximum ranges, the minimum range in order tohave efficacy is 0.20% by weight. When copper is present in less than0.20% it is simply not potent enough to be effective. The maximum rangeis 1.00% as the “excess” copper above this range does not remain insolution. The preferred range is 0.35% by weight to 0.50% by weight. Thelower percentage of 0.35% percent of this range has been selected ashaving efficacy as a moldicide, insecticide and fungicide. The higherpercentage of 0.50% of this range has been selected for financialreasons. A percentage of 0.60% is no more effective than a percentage of0.50%, but is more expensive.

Once the teachings of the present invention are understood, it will bepossible for persons skilled in the art to manufacture and sell containsof granules of a solidified water soluble copper-borate complex,together with written instructions regarding dissolving specifiedquantities of the granules of the solidified water soluble copper-boratecomplex in specified quantities of water to form a liquid pesticide. Theprecise quantities of granules and the precise quantities of waterrequired, will be dependent upon the potency of the solidified watersoluble copper-borate complex.

In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in itsnon-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included,but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to anelement by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibilitythat more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearlyrequires that there be one and only one of the elements.

It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that modifications may bemade to the illustrated embodiment without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as hereinafter defined in the claims.

1. A method of manufacture of a liquid pesticide containing copper,comprising the steps of: forming of a solidified water solublecopper-borate complex; dissolving the solidified water solublecopper-borate complex in water, until the water contains a concentrationof at least 0.02% by weight of copper.
 2. The method as defined in claim1, the solidified water soluble copper-borate complex being reduced togranules to accelerate the rate at which the solidified water solublecopper-borate complex dissolves.
 3. The method as defined in claim 1,the concentration of copper in water being not more than 1.00% byweight.
 4. The method as defined in claim 3, the concentration of copperin water being not less than 0.35% by weight and not more than 0.50% byweight.
 5. A liquid pesticide produced in accordance with the method setforth in claim
 1. 6. A container of granules of a solidified watersoluble copper-borate complex in combination with written instructionsregarding dissolving specified quantities of the granules of thesolidified water soluble copper-borate complex in specified quantitiesof water to form a liquid pesticide in accordance with the method setforth in claim 1.